The following information is provided to assist the reader to understand the technology described below and certain environments in which such technology can be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless clearly stated otherwise in this document. References set forth herein may facilitate understanding of the technology or the background thereof. The disclosure of all references cited herein are incorporated by reference.
Cell-cell interactions are central to both pathology and effective host defense to a myriad of diseases. Many cell functions are stimulated or dampened by binding of various agents, binding agents or ligands to their respective receptors on the cell surface. Ligands can, for example, include agonists, antagonists and inverse agonists. In general, agonists are able to activate a receptor. Antagonists bind to receptors but do not provoke a biological response upon binding. Binding of an antagonist disrupts interaction and inhibits function of an agonist. Inverse agonists reduce the activity of receptors by inhibiting constitutive activity of the receptor.
Modulating or modifying the surface receptor profile of cells before those cells interact with other cells inside the body has the potential to modify or program the action of those cells towards a desired response while attenuating less desired responses. Systemic drug administration can, for example, be used to modulate surface receptor profile but can also result in undesirable side effects toward other cells or tissues.